An account of a young and curious mind's tumble into experiencing the natural world.

Why The Epicurean Outdoorsman (TEO)? Epicureanism is defined as an ancient school of philosophy founded in Athens by Epicurus. The school rejected determinism and advocated hedonism (pleasure as the highest good), but of a restrained kind: mental pleasure was regarded more highly than physical, and the ultimate pleasure was held to be freedom from anxiety and mental pain, especially that arising from needless fear of death.

The Epicurean message, stripped to its essence, really is a call of liberation – from a superstitious fear of destructive desire. Its less-is-more spirit is remarkably relevant twenty centuries after it was first developed. And a few lines from the Epicurean poet Lucretius, penned at the height of paganism, also strike home in the age of the smartphone:

While we can't get what we want, that seems of all things most desirable, once got, we must have something else. - Lucretius

With the advent of social media, recreational activities like hunting and fishing, territorial and competitive-by-nature, are struggling to adjust to a new breed of outdoorsman. Fueled by a handheld-super-computer and global social networks accessible via ‘hashtags’, recreationalists are able to rapidly develop decades of outdoor experience in a fraction of the time. While one may perceive this as a benefit, most would derive it as a net-negative. The once self-taught skills and techniques garnered through years and years of experience came with an additional lesson on ethics. Not only is it an issue in the physical form, but the mental anxiety and pressures are overwhelming as a myriad of ads and ‘supported content’ condone alterior intent… something not alien to other industries.

TEO is all about getting back to our roots and keeping a strong moral grounding while providing entertainment and honest information to its followers. I'm all about a silly goose time and enjoying each day the world conjures up, we live for the ‘dash’, the dash between our date of birth and passing… better make it a damn good one.